Bible has many examples of people who we can learn from
The two men I want us to study are:
1. Jehoiada
2. Joash
Jehoiada
Jehovah-known; the father of Benaiah, who was one of David’s chief warriors (2Sa 8:18; 20:23).
The high priest at the time of Athaliah’s usurpation of the throne of Judah. He married Jehosheba, or Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram (2Ch 22:11), and took an active part along with his wife in the preservation and training of Jehoash when Athaliah slew all the royal family of Judah.
Jehoiada lived 130 years (v. 15), by which it appears that he was born in Solomon’s time, and had lived six entire reigns before this.
A man who intervened and did God’s work to bring about God’s purpose and plan.
He looked after the younger generation
He risked his life and the life of his family
As a priest, he wanted restoration for God’s temple
It is the greatest honour to do good in our generations
2 Chron 22:2-3
v2 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri.
V3 He too walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother encouraged him in doing wrong.
Although His father and grandfather were also corrupted by the house of Ahab,
Jehoiada encouraged and spurred Joash on to do what was right
A mentor
He didn’t look for his own glory
Temple in a really bad condition
Baal worship and Ashera poles
How can the Lord of light live with Baal who is all darkness?
How can the Lord of righteousness be in the presence of evil?
The Temple was made for restoration of sin; confession = restoration
And yet it still applies to us today but within us.
1 Cor 6:19
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
Urgency to examine our lives; I believe God has shown me things that people are doing here.
I know there is someone who has occult dealings knowingly or unknowingly and I know who and God knows. I’ve known from the middle of December and I’m waiting on God for the moment to deal with it.
People think it’s fun to read tarot cards, astrology, get in touch with nature, fortune tellers lucky charms, anything superstitious etc.
Even our day and months are from pagan gods.
Very dangerous; a foothold, it brings God’s judgment
Our children are exposed to films and books containing the occult, which is viewed as innocent children’s fun
¨ Harry Potter
¨ Making up spells in school as part of the Literacy lesson
How can we protect the younger generation?
Together they set the Temple straight.
We can too.
Jehoiada finished his course with honour he did all he could do
Look at his reward:
2 Chron 24:15-16
Now Jehoiada was old and full of years, and he died at the age of a hundred and thirty.
He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple.
He had a Kings funeral.
Joash
A sad account of the apostasy of Joash. God had done great things for him; he had done something for God; but now he proved ungrateful to his God and false to the oath he made before Jehoiada.
Here is someone bought up and trained in the Temple and the things of God
What made Joash fall into apostasy?
The very same things that we face today; especially our youth
¨ Pressure from others to conform
¨ The need for spiritual experience
¨ Getting in with the wrong crowd
¨ Exploring things which should be left alone
¨ Lack of spiritual guidance from older generation
Joash not only gave them permission to do it, he also joined with them. The king and princes, who, a little while ago, were repairing the temple, now were tearing it down; those who had pulled down groves and idols now served them.
Man is so inconsistent and there’s little confidence is to be put in him!
How many people do things out of character?
Joash was given wrong information about Zechariah by the princes.
We hear about our young people who kill:
Telegraph reports: April 08
§ Murders of children by other children have tripled in three years, as more of the nation’s youth get drawn into a deadly world of guns and knives.
§ The number of killings in which both victim and assailant were under 18 has jumped from 12 in 2005 to 37 last year, according to a new study.
§ The research paints a picture of a country where youth-on-youth violence is spiralling as the Government struggles to rein back the increasing number of children turning to gangs and falling into a life of drugs. It reveals:
• A quarter of all gun crimes last year were committed by under-18s.
• More than half of killings are believed to be gang-related.
• Children as young as five are joining gangs.
• Youths are killed for going into the "wrong" postcode area.
• A sixfold increase in the number of gangs in some parts of London since 2000.
§ Among the 37 killed by other youths last year were Kiyan Prince, 15, a striker for QPR’s youth team; Ben Hitchcock, 16, stabbed to death in Beckenham, a leafy London suburb; and Rhys Jones, 11, who was gunned down by a boy in a hood, believed to be 15.
§ Paul Erhahon, a 14-year-old schoolboy, was stabbed to death outside his home just so that a gang of youths - some as young as 13 - could "earn their spurs".
§ The number of under-18s convicted or cautioned over violent offences rose from 17,590 to 24,102 - an increase of 37 per cent.
God sent prophets to them (v. 19) to reprove them for their wickedness, and to tell them what would be in the end and to bring them again unto the Lord.
Now God sent Jesus to turn from wicked desires to righteousness
Joash slew one of the most eminent, Zechariah the son of Jehoiada (Like a brother to him)
Zechariah, who suffered martyrdom for his faithfulness to God and his country, was the son of Jehoiada, who had done so much good in Israel, and particularly had been as a father to Joash.
He had the external performances of religion
Yet no real affection for divine things or any inward relish of them
In the outward expressions of devotion it is possible that those who have only the form of godliness may out-shine those who have the power of it.
It is easier to build temples than to be temples to God
2 Chron 24:25 When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. So he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
In comparison to Jehoiada who wasn’t a king by birth, yet he received a royal tomb.
Where are you in relation to these two men?
Conclusion:
Are you a Jehoiada?
Is your aim to clean out the Temple?
To guide the younger generation after you
If it is and you really want to experience the power and glory of God, then you must get rid of the things that defile you and them.
You must examine your life, your friends, and your possessions in your home.
Pray for God to give the answers to today’s life situations.
Or are you a Joash?
Denying what you’ve been told and bought up to believe
Partaking in things which are ‘harmless fun’
Beginning well then turning away and turning the hearts of those who look up to you
Like the dog returning to their vomit; walking back into the past sin you once were free from?
Don’t give up eternity for a season of sinful pleasure
Eph 2:21-22
In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Go and serve your community demonstrating God’s love, acceptance and power. Amen
